GOP advice on Medicare: Attack

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan say that they welcome a debate about the federal budget and their plans to reform Medicare.

But Republican strategists believe that there is really only one way to win the Medicare message wars: mount a bruising offense and attack Democrats for their own actions surrounding the popular federal health care program for senior citizens.

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Historically, Republicans lose elections when entitlement reform becomes a central issue in campaigns. But interviews with several Republican strategists this week said that Democrats are far from bulletproof when it comes to this politically explosive terrain.

This year, GOP message-makers say the reduced Medicare spending provisions in President Barack Obama’s health care law give the Romney-Ryan ticket an unprecedented opportunity to gain the upper hand on the Medicare argument: by relentlessly slamming the president on the issue, then pivoting back to the economy. (Of course, Democrats are hitting Romney and Republicans just as hard back).

“Historically … for Republicans if you can fight Medicare and Social Security to a draw, that’s good,” said longtime GOP strategist Charlie Black. “But what’s changed is the president taking money out of Medicare for current recipients to fund his boondoggle [health care] program.”

That argument — that the Affordable Care Act took $716 billion from the Medicare program — is one the Romney-Ryan ticket has been making in the week since Ryan became Romney’s running mate.

“We’re the ones who are offering a plan to save Medicare, to protect Medicare, to strengthen Medicare,” Ryan told Fox News earlier this week. “We’re the ones who are not raiding Medicare to pay for Obamacare.”

Medicare “is not the ace up the sleeve [for Democrats] that it has been in previous elections,” argued Luke Frans, the executive director of the GOP polling firm Resurgent Republic. “We can get it to the point where it’s a competitive policy debate.”

There is agreement among GOP strategists that delving too far into the policy details surrounding the Ryan plan to convert Medicare into a voucher system in 2023 would be suicidal in the heat of a general election campaign. Romney attempted to put some meat on his budget plan by outlining it on a whiteboard this week, but getting bogged down in a policy debate isn’t advisable, they say. The campaign instead plans to contrast its big-picture vision for fiscal responsibility with Obama’s irresponsible economic stewardship.

A Romney campaign aide told POLITICO that the campaign invites further debate on Medicare — and that they think it’s an argument they can win.

The aide added that voters know Medicare is in serious financial trouble and understand the stakes if the program isn’t reformed. Boston plans to highlight how Obama’s proposals don’t address how to deal with the impending Medicare funding crisis.

In that vein, the Romney campaign went up with an ad just days after the Ryan pick, hitting Obama on the $716 billion figure.

“You paid into Medicare for years: every paycheck. Now, when you need it, Obama has cut $716 billion dollars from Medicare. Why? To pay for Obamacare,” the ad says. “The Romney-Ryan plan protects Medicare benefits for today’s seniors and strengthens the plan for the next generation.”

How the GOP ticket talks about Medicare is vitally important in Florida in particular, a competitive swing state with a high retirement-age population. Ryan is visiting the state for the first time today since he was named to the ticket, and will go to The Villages — billed as the largest retirement community in the world — with his mom.

Excellent strategy. Last night I tried to use reason and common sense with a blogger here on Politico. All the explanations and examples I gave this person just crossed the top of his/her head and all this person could do was to throw MSNBC/Media Matters talking points.

It is pointless to argue with liberals. They don't read the links, they zero in on the typos, they take things out of context, they never respond to questions, they don't get it, don't want to get it, and are incapable of understanding basic concepts.

So why bother explaing things to them. It is time to attack their left wing extremist beliefs. The truth about liberals is that they voted for a black man because he was a black man. The truth about liberals is that they are compasionate with other people's money. The truth about liberals is that they have no morals and values. The truth about liberals is that they are unable to grasp logic. The truth about liberals is that they think they are so smart until common sense is thrown into the argument. The truth about liberals is that no matter how many times they are explained things, they just don't want to hear it.

So, let's attack these idiot or we won't have an America left to defend. And BTW, the MSM needs an Obama Sticker in their forehead.

Obama had 3 years to put it together. The president of executive order. He should be put in jail. No budget, spent one trillion a year, food stamps up 70 percent under his watch, class warfare, does not prosecute the new black panther party for voter intimidation, hiding something around fast and furious, and transforming America so that we can be European society. What is not to like about hope and change. Oh, he has never created on job in his entire life. Now that is someone to admire. I watched Chris Mathews last night with some other left winger hosting. They are truly a joke.

Romney promises "help" to the poor and sick and then his party takes away their voting rights. Never saw such a blatant attack on the poor in my life. If they win, you will see homeless everywhere, sick dying in the streets, children goiing hungry and Romney and his fat cats will be paying less in taxes, but will have a country bent on revolution.

Go for it. Try and sell the American public that. I wonder how many people will actually believe that the GOP is out to 'save Medicare'.

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Only those who understand the simple concept that without doing anything to it, we won't have Medicare in the future. Barack Obama gutted the program by $716 Billion dollars to fund Obamacare. And before you give us the talking point of "but but but Ryan's plan did too".....pinhead, understand who is the President of the United States today!

Here are the issues we are talking about. While Mitt Romney is talking about the issues, he has to remind the Obama Campaign that they need to grow up and take their Campaign of hate back to Chicago.

It is pointless to argue with liberals. They don't read the links, they zero in on the typos, they take things out of context, they never respond to questions, they don't get it, don't want to get it, and are incapable of understanding basic concepts.

Or maybe you just have to demonize your opposition in cartoonish terms. You just have a need to belong to one group and despise another group. Just like the libs. lol

Then do tell us why. What experience did he have to get the presidency? please explain DUMB***!

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You are becoming unhinged Bluelight, and your hatred of those who disagree with you is very evident. You don't get it, i would not vote for a modern day Republican, supported by pure scum like Rove and the Koch brothers if that Republican was the last person on earth. There is a reason your party has a very small tent.